This is our new series in which we provide you with a recap of South Dakota Sports from the day prior while you start your afternoon. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the stories.
Wow! We are moving towards the end of the season with a lot of great basketball left to play, and Digital Z South Dakota just reached 250+ followers on Twitter! We have so much planned for the summer, and fall and we want to thank you for supporting the page.
Boys: Vermillion is Good…Again
I think you might be tired of hearing that Vermillion is good, but you are going to have to hear it again. Vermillion is good.
The Tanagers had a great 79-68 victory over Dakota Valley last night, and it looked like Vermillion will be the team to beat in Class A. The Tanagers played well as a team all night, while Dakota Valley struggled to shoot from the arc. Vermillion played like a great team, and great teams are difficult to beat. It seemed as though everyone has their role and plays their role well. The term role player gets a bad name, but there are no successful teams without great players who do their job well. Vermillion is going to be a tough team to beat, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tanagers win the title in March.
I will say, it was impressive to see the Panthers never give up, even when down by 14 points late in the game. The shot clock in South Dakota will always give teams a slight chance, so it was cool to see a team keep playing until the buzzer ended.
Boys: Sportscenter
White River defeated Winner in a classic matchup with a buzzer beater that reached #7 on SportsCenter. I’m sure you’ve all seen the play, but I want to say it was incredible that both teams didn’t give up. Winner was cool the entire time, even with a missed free throw, and it gave them a chance to win. But White River was also calm and nothing seemed rushed about the play, and now, they’re on SportsCenter.
It’s crazy how quickly the season goes however, because the Tigers now have to play De Smet later this week. The Bulldogs have yet to lose a game against a Class B opponent this season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if White River leaves Mitchell with a victory after the Winner game. Saturday should be a great matchup!
Girls: St. Thomas More Keeps Winning
There is no doubt that St. Thomas More is the #1 in the state, any class. The 16-0 Cavaliers won two more games against tough opponents this past week, defeating Winner by four points on the road before defeating RC Stevens by 3 points at home.
Now the Cavaliers should have a break right? Nope.
St. Thomas More will play Sioux Falls Christian tomorrow and West Central on Friday. If the Cavaliers win both those games, that means they will have defeated the #3, #5, #6, and #9 team in Digital Z South Dakota’s current All-Class Rankings, while the Chargers were formerly ranked.
Incredible.
Undefeated Teams Remaining
Currently, there are 2 undefeated teams remaining in boys basketball and 3 undefeated teams remaining in girls basketball. Who has the best chance of remaining undefeated? Let’s look at the schedules.
BOYS
Washington- Washington might have the toughest schedule of any team, having to play Tea Area, O’Gorman twice, and Aberdeen Central as well as RC Central and Mitchell.
Vermillion- LeMars is an incredibly talented team who might be better than Dakota Valley. They also will face Flandreau and Wagner. Wagner has a good team this season, and Flandreau has played a tough schedule, so both those teams have a chance.
GIRLS
Aberdeen Central- The Golden Eagles will have to prove they are the #1 team in the state with a tough final week in the schedule. Harrisburg, and Mitchell will be battles, but the toughest game will probably be the last, as Aberdeen Central travels to Washington on the 27th.
St. Thomas More- If the Cavaliers end this week with a zero in the loss column, there is a 99% chance they end the season undefeated.
Castlewood- The Warriors have quietly been one of the top teams in Class B, and will have a great chance to end the season undefeated. Castlewood will have to play Waverly-South Shore, and Sioux Valley, though the Warriors have already defeated Hamlin and Florence-Henry.
I would say this list is the order of most likely to remain undefeated along who will be the opponent with the best chance of victory:
- Castlewood (Waverly-South Shore)
- Washington (Mitchell)
- St. Thomas More (West Central)
- Vermillion (LeMars)
- Aberdeen Central (Washington)
Final Thoughts
Support your community and have a great Wednesday!
As always, we do our best to include what we can, but we can’t include everybody. We enjoy the support you bring, and next week we will continue to have more analysis and recap on SD Sports!
